Top five reasons not to bother about B.I.M. - article 3

"It's too expensive."

Virtechs’ ‘BIM Awareness and Understanding’ workshops are attended by delegates from a variety of different trades and professions and from a wide range of companies.

For me, one of the most gratifying aspects of delivering the workshops is seeing delegates becoming enthused about the future once they begin to understand my proposition that ‘BIM is an opportunity, not a threat’.

Inevitably, though, a small proportion of delegates respond negatively to the idea of change. Their resistance often manifests itself in the language they use and the reasons they cite for resisting change.

Here, then, is the third of the top five reasons I hear as to ‘why BIM won’t work’!

"Clients will rapidly become more demanding and require more and better data. Will you be able to provide it?"

First of all, BIM isn’t all about technology. It’s a business process that requires you to look at your people and processes first and then - and only then - should you be considering investments in technology.

If you’re a design practice that thinks it can’t afford the transition from 2D to 3D working then ask yourself what clients you want to work with in the future and how will you be able to serve them. Notwithstanding the current woeful lack of client understanding around BIM, I believe nevertheless that clients will rapidly become more demanding and require more and better data. Will you be able to provide it?

If you believe that training staff in new workflows and, possibly, investing in new technology is too expensive then carry on as you are. After all there are businesses that succeed precisely because they are old fashioned. It's just that I can't think of many...

I have written before about a colleague of mine who, as retirement beckons, has totally turned his back on modern methods of working and seems to have reverted to the early 1970s. Sadly, his client base has shrunk to the point where, realistically, the majority of his work is domestic porches and kitchen extensions, a far cry from the major schemes he used to design!

Virtechs’ BIM Awareness and Understanding’ Workshops are delivered by knowledgable and experienced BIM practitioners with ‘real-world’ experience. The workshops cover a variety of relevant topics - remember, it’s not all about technology! - and, whatever your BIM knowledge or experience there is a workshop to suit you.

Our workshops are highly acclaimed; here are what some of our customers say about them:

“The BIM course was great, very informative and delivered at a level which helped even complete beginners like myself to understand how BIM works and how it relates to my role.”

“I would have no hesitation in recommending Dave [Emery] to you not only as a person who is very experienced and capable in BIM but is also a pleasure to work with. It is pretty rare for me for me to be so effusive in a professional recommendation but in Dave’s case it’s entirely justified."

“I’ll come straight to the point: the feedback from our staff [about your BIM Workshops] has been first class."

“I have no hesitation in saying that Virtechs provide an excellent service, and is the best consultancy I have worked with."